AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



787 



time they expect to double their mem- 

 bership, and anticipate the pleasure of 

 having Professor Cook and other dis- 

 tinguished bee-keepers present. 

 Greeley, Colo., Nov. 30, 1891. 



drade for Premiuni Honey. 



J. W. BLODGETT. 



My bees came through the Winter 

 well. There were 54 colonies, some 

 strong and- some weak. From them I 

 obtained 3,500 pounds of honey, in one- 

 pound sections. Of that amount I had 

 800 pounds of honey-dew, which I am 

 keeping to feed to the bees next Spring. 

 I now have T3 colonies in fair condition. 

 I fear the effects of the honey-dew in 

 the hives, for I don't think it wholesome 

 food for man or bee. Last Spring the 

 weather was so wet that the clover 

 yielded nothing. Linden did better, but 

 it is too far from my apiary to be of 

 much use for surplus from that source. 

 Heart's-ease did well. Most of my honey 

 was from that source. It is of excellent 

 quality, but it is a little dark. So, all in 

 all, we have had a poor season as far as 

 honey is concerned ; but it has been as 

 good as corn, for that is but half a crop. 

 We are having fine rains and snows to 

 keep the clover in good condition to 

 Winter well. The ground will be filled 

 with water, for it has not yet frozen, and 

 it will absorb it all. I am not discour- 

 aged in the least, for I think that the 

 prospects are good for a crop of clover- 

 honey next year. 



Now, as we are talking about grading 

 honey, I think there ought to be one 

 more grade than the Northwestern Con- 

 vention decided upon, and that is for 

 "Premium Honey." That should have 

 all worker cells, and be perfectly filled ; 

 it should be as white as snow. The first 

 grade to be filled and fastened all around 

 the sections, may have used drawn- 

 comb, but must be white and straight. 



The second grade must be well-filled, 

 but may not be bright clear down to the 

 bottom, but must be good every other 

 way. 



Third grade may be dark, but mast 

 not be lioney-dew. 



Empire Prairie, Mo. 



We Club the American Bee Journal 

 and the Illustrated Home Journal, one 

 year for $1.35. Both of these and 

 Gleanings in Bee Culture, for one year, 

 for $2.15. 



COWVEXTIOX DIRECTORY. 



Time and place of meeting. 



1891. 



Dec. 23.— The Carolina, at Charlotte. 



A. S. Beach, Sec, Pincville, N. C. 



Dec. 31.— Michigan State, at Grand Kapids. 

 Geo. E. Hilton, Sec, Fremont, Mich. 



1892. 



Jan. 6, 7.— California State, at Los Angeles. 

 C. W. Brodbeck, Sec, Los Angeles, Calif. 



Jan. 18, 19.— Colorado State, at Denver. 



H. Knight, Sec, Littleton, Colo. 



In order to have this table complete, 

 Secretaries are requested to forward full 

 particulars of the time and the place of 

 each future meeting. — The Editor. 



North American Bee-Keepers' Association 



President— P. H. Elwood Starkviile, N. Y 



Secretary— C. P. Dadant Hamilton, Ills. 



National Bee-Keepers' Union. 



President— James Heddon ..Dowagiac, Mich. 

 Sec'y and Manager— T. G. Newman, Chicago. 



Bee aiid lloiiei] Gossip. 



l^~ Do not write anything for publication 

 on the same sheet of paper with business 

 matters, unless it can be torn apart without 

 interfering with either part of the letter. 



Twenty Years of Bee-Keeping". 



I have read the Bee Journal for 10 

 years, and often find helpful suggestions 

 in it. I have kept from 8 to 12 colo- 

 nies of bees during the past 20 years. 

 The past season has been a very poor one. 

 The surplus gathered by the bees was 

 not fit to eat, being the so-called honey- 

 dew. I had to feed my bees with sugar 

 syrup for Winter stores. C. Zoll. 



Vermont, 111., Dec. 3, 1891. 



Average Yield per Colony. 



Our honey crop is short this year. I 

 have only 50 pounds of honey per colony. 

 Spring count, and that is all dark. Some 

 of it is even black from honey-dew. In 

 ordinary years we have from 140 to 200 

 pounds, and in extraordinary years from 

 275 to 350 pounds. Mr. E. J. Baxter, 

 of Nauvoo, 111., generally reports nearly 

 300 pounds per colony. This is quite a 

 different report from that mentioned by 

 Mr. W. J. Davis, on page 684. If we 

 in loWa had only 10 pounds per colony 

 for five years in succession, we would 

 give it up and buy our honey for family 

 use at seven cents per pound or less — 



